Lesson plans and worksheets by RJ Tarr at www.activehistory.co.

uk / 1

Terms of the Treaty of Versailles – 2 lessons.

Pre-class preparation:
• Each student needs a copy of worksheet 1;
• Each student will also need (later on) a copy of worksheet 2.

Lesson 1 (30 mins): The SCRAP over territory

Teacher seminar:
When the Big 3 started getting down to business, their were 5 main areas of
consideration
Territory
Reparations
Armaments
War Guilt
League of Nations

We will be looking at each of these in turn.

• Put students into groups of 3, each one representing one of the Big 3.
• In their books they put the heading “The SCRAP over territory”.
• Re-cap discussion:
What did your each of your characters aim for generally?
What do you think they would therefore want with regard to territory?

Notes:
Clemenceau wanted to punish Germany by crushing her completely and
permanently
– even chopping the country into bits if possible!
Lloyd George wanted to reward the winners, but not to destroy Germany, who
was a crucial trading partner.
- wanted colonies
Wilson was not interested in punishing Germany or rewarding the winners, but
rather creating a “just and lasting peace” based on the 14 points
- Plebiscites, Mandates, Self-Determination.

• Students are then given a copy of worksheet 1.

• They divide a full page in their exercise books into a table like the one overleaf:
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THE SCRAP OVER TERRITORY AT VERSAILLES

AREA DISCUSSED DECISION EVENTUALLY REACHED
BY OUR GROUP
Saar:

Colonies:

Rhineland:

Alsace-Lorraine:

Polish Corridor:

Definitions:
Plebiscite:
Mandate:
Self-Determination:
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• Looking at Worksheet 1, they copy the information from the first column of the
table into the first column of the table in their book: i.e. –

Saar – Rich iron-producing area, the industrial heartland of Germany.

Colonies – Mainly in Africa, cause of great rivalry with GB.
Rhineland – The border area between Germany and France, heavily defended.
Alsace-Lorraine – Taken from France in 1870
Polish corridor – a strip of land which would give Poland access to the sea, but
which would split Germany into two sections.

Lesson 2:

Main Activity (20 mins)

• Individually, students read through each of the 5 areas they will SCRAP over on
the worksheet, and decide what option out of A. B or C their character will argue
in favour of. These are then circled off on the sheet.
• Then, students decide which three of these objectives are the most important.
These are numbered 1,2 and 3 on the same sheet.
• Tell students that their objective is to secure group agreement to as many of
these as possible – which could mean compromising on other issues.
• The teacher then allows each group 4-5 minutes to discuss the first issue (The
Saar). Students have to reach a group decision on whether to go for option (a),
(b) or (c).
• Once agreement has been reached, this group decision is copied into the table
in their books.

• Repeat the process for the other areas. Students could even be asked to
provide the accents!

Feedback and Consolidation (15 mins)

• Teacher asks how many people got all of their objectives. How did they do this?
Who got none? Why was this? Is there any pattern to which character did the
best? Are there any possible explanations for this?
• Teacher gets each group to read out their decisions as a combination of the
options they chose (e.g. ABCAB, BBCAC). These are written up on the board.
• Teacher then tells class what the peacemakers really decided for each issue,
one at a time (combination = BCACA); give each group a mark for each one they
got right. After telling them the final decision, each group will have their total
overall score.

• They then have to provide a written answer to the question: “To what extent do
you agree that the decisions reached by the Big 3 with relation to territory were a
sensible compromise?”
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Paragraph 1: “Our group agreed with the following decisions…because…”

Paragraph 2: “Our group disagreed with the following decisions…because…”

Homework / Extension:
Students complete worksheet 2.
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Worksheet 1: THE SCRAP OVER TERRITORY AT VERSAILLES!

A B C
Saar Have a plebiscite Give it to France Give it to France
Rich iron-producing to allow the for 15 years,
area, the industrial inhabitants self- then a plebiscite
heartland of Germany. determination.
Colonies Give them all to Have plebiscites Make them “Mandates” of
Mainly in Africa, cause Britain in each one to the League – divide them
of great rivalry with GB. see if they want between the winners, but
independence they only rule them under
supervision of the League.
Rhineland Demilitarise it Make it a Turn it into an independent
The border area permanently, but “Mandate” of the State
between Germany and leave it as part of League, under
France, heavily Germany French control.
defended.

Alsace-Lorraine Turn it into an Have a plebiscite Return it to France

Taken from France in independent state to see if it wants
1870 to be French or
German
Polish Corridor Give it to Poland Have a plebiscite Make it a mandate under
A strip of land which to allow the to see what they direct control of the League
would give Poland country access to want in the area so that everyone can use it
access to the sea, but the sea as a sea-rounte.
split Germany into two
sections.

• Get into groups of three. One of you will play the role of Wilson, one of you will
be Lloyd George, and one of you will be Clemenceau.
• Individually, read through each of the 5 areas you will SCRAP over and decide
what option out of A. B or C your character would argue in favour of. Circle these
off on the sheet.
• Now decide which three of these objectives are the most important.
• Number these 1,2 and 3.
• Now discuss each issue as a group, and reach a group decision on
• You cannot circle off any option until you have all agreed on it.
• Each of you may find that you will have to agree to some things that you don’t
like in order to get other things.

• When you have finished your teacher will tell you what decisions were eventually
reached – keep a score of how many you got right!
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Worksheet 2: THE SCRAP OVER TERRITORY AT VERSAILLES

TASKS:
• Basic Level: Colour in
the labelled areas.
Reproduce this colour
scheme in the left hand
column of each of the
rows in the first table.
• Higher Level: Find out
the location of the three
places mentioned in the
second table. Label
these 1, 2 and 3 on the
map.

BASIC LEVEL POINTS:

KEY EXPLANATION
Saar – Industrial heartland of Germany. Given to France for 15 years,
S then a plebiscite to be held to determine its future (it voted to go back to
Germany)
C Colonies (off map) – divided as Mandates among the winners
Rhineland – “Permanently” demilitarised. Allied army of occupation to
R
stay there until 1935
Alsace-Lorraine – Returned to France (taken from her by Germany,
A
1871)
Polish Corridor – Given to Poland to give her access to the sea. This
P puts 1½ million Germans under Polish rule, and cuts off East Prussia
from the rest of Germany

HIGHER LEVEL POINTS:

KEY EXPLANATION
Upper Silesia – to Poland. Whole of Silesia had a plebiscite held in
1921. Two-thirds of the population voted to stay German; one-third voted
1
to go to Poland. The area was divided, with Poland getting the main
industrial areas.
2 North Schleswig – to Denmark
3 Eupen and Malmedy – to Belgium.
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Lessons 3&4

2. The other terms

Pre-class prep – full set of d-sided worksheets (3&4)

(Repeats the format of the last lesson, using the new worksheet).

Task to follow:
• Divide a page into 3 rows.
• In the middle of each row, draw a small picture of each of the Big 3,
with their name underneath.
• On the left, students have a speech bubble the terms that they are
happy about;
• On the right, a thought bubble complaining about what they were
not.
• Key question – who was happiest? Why did the Big 3 not get what
they wanted?
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Worksheet 3: OTHER SUBJECTS DISCUSSED AT VERSAILLES

AREA DISCUSSED DECISION EVENTUALLY REACHED
Reparations

Armaments

War Guilt

League of Nations

Definitions:
Conscription:

Reparations:

Collective Security:
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Worksheet 4: OTHER SUBJECTS DISCUSSED AT VERSAILLES

A B C
Reparations Make Germany Make Germany pay Keep reparations to
agree to pay for every penny of a minimum to stop
whatever we the damage she Germany being
eventually decide has caused resentful in the
on future
Armaments Planes: 0 Planes: 0 Planes: 10
Warships: 0 Warships: 6 Warships: 7
Soldiers: 0 Soldiers: 100,000 Soldiers: 50,000
Conscription Conscription Conscription
banned. banned. banned.
Everyone else to
disarm afterwards.
War Guilt Germany to accept Germany to accept Germany not to be
total blame main blame blamed as this will
only build up
resentment
League of Function: Function: To Function: To scare
Nations International peace- enforce the peace Germany
keeping body treaties Membership:
Membership: As Membership: Don’t Any country which
many countries as allow the USSR or stands against the
possible Germany to join Germans